Attorney General Morrisey Releases Top Consumer Complaints for the Metro Valley in 2018

CHARLESTON — Attorney General Patrick Morrisey released a list of the top consumer complaints received by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division for Cabell, Kanawha, Putnam and Wayne counties in 2018.

“Our Consumer Protection Division works diligently to protect consumers from dishonest business practices,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “I encourage consumers who believe they have been a victim of an unlawful practice to reach out to our office and file a complaint.”

The list is assembled from written consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Protection Division. The tally does not include phone calls from consumers who did not follow up with a written complaint. It also does not include reports of scams.

The 2018 top complaint categories for the Metro Valley were:

Internet services

Used vehicle repairs

Cable TV

Cell phone devices and services

General sales

Telephone services

Home repairs

Roofing

Used vehicles

The Attorney General encourages consumers to educate themselves about their rights and responsibilities so they do not encounter similar issues.

Automotive and motor vehicle issues, up one spot from a year ago, ranked as the top consumer issue statewide accounting for nearly a seventh of all complaints filed. Communication complaints fell to second statewide, followed by credit.

Though the list does not include scams, that issue remains a frequently reported consumer issue. The Attorney General warned consumers they should always be wary if a business uses high-pressure sales tactics, refuses to put terms in writing or demands the consumer surrender personal information, such as a Social Security number or banking information.

Consumers who believe they may have been the victim of a scam or taken advantage of should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-368-8808, the Eastern Panhandle Consumer Protection Office in Martinsburg at 304-267-0239 or visit the office online at www.wvago.gov.